Well, that is the main spin from some parts, complete with Livingstone wailing about this being a "further blow" to tackling climate change.

But wait. what is this, emailed out today by Porsche UK??
Porsche wins victory in congestion charge challenge

"Thank you very much for your support as we challenged
Mayor Livingstone's proposed Â£25 congestion charge in London.
As you saw for yourself, the congestion charge was a major issue
in the mayoral campaign and the candidate who opposed this
extension, Boris Johnson, was elected Mayor.

I am pleased to inform you that, today, the Administrative Court
in London has approved a consent order quashing the increase to
the charge. The new Mayor's legal team accepted that the
previous Mayoral administration should have taken into account
research from King's College which showed that the new charge
would actually increase CO2 emissions in Greater London and,
consequently that the new charge could, in fact, be unlawful.

Porsche has always been confident that the legal case was right
and now we are proud to have played a decisive role in striking
down such a blatantly political tax targeting motorists.

It is expected that significant legal costs will be awarded and
Porsche has decided to donate those costs to a fantastic charity
called Skidz, which takes at-risk young people and trains them in
motor vehicle maintenance and mechanics. This gives them the
tools and confidence they need to find gainful employment and
avoid a life of crime.

The support from Porsche will allow Skidz to open a facility in
Hillingdon, providing this opportunity to young Londoners for
the first time.

If you have any further comments or questions, you can contact
Porsche directly by e-mail at judicial.review@porsche.co.uk or
telephone 08457 911 911.

Thank you again for your support which was tremendously
encouraging and important to the challenge."

And Jenny Jones, from London's Green Party, said: "The London mayor has put the interest of the few above the needs of the planet.

"We know that green taxes work. Last year, Londoners bought more low emission cars than gas guzzlers for the first time ever."

Green taxes simply go into government/council coffers. They do nothing to promote enviromental change. If money could do it, we would be hurling cash at the sky.

The so called 'green taxes' now being levied on passenger flights can not in any way reduce carbon footprints ( a term I hate and detest) nor improve the environment in any way whatsoever, other than deterring families from flying. And if that is the desired objective then instead of being deceitful, patronising and smug, the Politburo here should just ban everyone from travelling. Unless, of course, they are Party members.